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Almost 150 restaurants and cafes all over Poland have joined Czytaj PL – one of the biggest actions aimed at promoting reading in the world. During their visit in a restaurant, the guests will get codes enabling them to download some e-books. Waiting for their meal, they will be able to look through the books available, become familiar with the selected one and start reading.
The first edition of Czytaj PL as a starter project, organized as part of Czytaj PL action began in November. According to a report Polska na talerzu (Poland on a Plate), almost 70% of Polish people eat out. In turn, the research conducted by an American NIDA institute indicate, that most teenagers never leave their mobile phones, even during a meal. Therefore, the guests of almost 150 selected restaurants all over Poland will be able to read 12 bestselling e-books for free, as part of this action. The restaurants and cafes will be equipped with special menu covers presenting the 12 books and a QR-code. It will be possible to rent a book while waiting for the order. That is 15-20 minutes on average which is worth to be devoted on getting familiar with the titles. A smartphone and an application is enough. The partners of the action include so far: Poznańska Weranda, Klubogaleria Szajba from Wrocław, and Heritage and Semolino restaurants from Warsaw Hala Koszyki. They are joined by new places, all the time. You can find a list of venues taking part in the action on the webpage.
Czytaj PL have been organized on an scale i unprecedented n Poland so far, yet this year, its scope will be even four times bigger. The action involves almost 500 cities and towns. Free e-book rentals were installed on over seven thousand devices. QR-codes of 12 bestsellers, including five of absolute 2017 novelties, were made available. For the first time 10 foreign cities, among others: Barcelona, Dublin, Lviv, Norwich, Nottingham, Prague and Reykjavik – UNESCO Cities of Literature will take part in the action. Last year’s edition encouraged thousands of people to read. This year, there will be even more.
From its inception, Czytaj PL action has been organized as part of Krakow UNESCO City of Literature Programme by Krakow Festival Office and Woblink.com e-book platform. This year, for the first time, the action is also available in 1000 high schools all over the country as part of the project: Upoluj swoją książkę (Hunt Your Own Book) organized on the initiative of the Book Institute.
The list of books available:
1. Wojciech Drewniak Historia bez cenzury 2 (History Uncensored 2)
2. Krzysztof Piskorski Czterdzieści i cztery (Forty and four)
3. Gregory David Roberts Shantaram
4. Filip Springer Miasto Archipelag. Polska mniejszych miast (Archipelago City. Poland of Lesser Towns)
5. Anna Kamińska Wanda
6. Jakub Małecki Ślady (Tracks)
7. Dan Ariely The Honest) Truth About Dishonesty
8. Elżbieta Cherezińska Korona śniegu i krwi (Crown of Snow and Blood)
9. Camilla Lackberg The Ice Princess
10. Peter Wohlleben (The Hidden Life of Trees)
11. Jon Ronson So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed
12. Marek Kamiński Marek i czaszka jaguara (Marek and the Jaguar’s Skull)
Krakow restaurants and cafes that take part in the action:
1. 2 Okna Cafe
2. Zenit
3. Klubogaleria Szajba
4. Cafe Botanica
5. Nowa Prowincja
6. Cafe Zakątek
7. Mo-ja Cafe
8. Bistro Antidotum
Organisers of Read PL: Krakow Festival Office, Woblink
Strategic Partner: Polish Book Institute
Organisers of the initiative in schools (Hunt your own book): Polish Book Institute, Krakow Festival Office, Woblink
Publishers: Znak Horyzont, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Wydawnictwo Marginesy, Wydawnictwo Karakter, SQN, Smak Słowa, Zysk, Wydawnictwo Czarna Owca, Otwarte, Insignis Media, Znak Emotikon
Partner cities: Kraków, Poznań, Łódź, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Katowice, Lublin, Toruń, Częstochowa, Opole, Gdynia, Rzeszów
Other cities taking part: Warszawa, Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Bytom, Chorzów, Mysłowice, Rybnik, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Tychy
UNESCO Cities of Literature participating: Barcelona, Dublin, Dundee, Dunedin, Edinburgh, Lviv, Norwich, Nottingham, Prague, Reykjavik
Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and Cultural Heritage as part of the National Programme for the Promotion of Reading. The initiative is organised under the patronage of Ministry of National Education.